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S A R A H

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"You are a cheerleader, love." I cringed. "It's literally what you do. I am sure I can find a way to have you cheer for me in my room." I looked on as Keira flushed an angry red, while Chase's lackeys snickered. 

It's been three days since I came to this school. Liv and Mia have warned me against this Chase guy and his group previously. He is infamous here at school for being the absolute playboy and a whole around jerk. Not to mention, extremely crude, but I guess that comes with the job description of being a slut man. 

"I will have you know that I have a boyfriend." Keira tells him, her voice sharp but embarrassed which hinted that she was lying, and Chase laughed. "C'mon sweetheart. Everyone knows that girls like you don't do boyfriends. Tell me, how much does this boyfriend of yours give you for a night? I know I can do better than that."  

"Excuse me!??" Keira exclaimed incredulously and I stepped forward, having had enough. 

"Is it so hard to accept the fact that she just ain't interested in you?" The boys and Keira turned to look at me and I noticed Chase give me an appraising look before my words registered in his pea sized brain, which was probably even smaller than his...well, you know. 

"Oh? You got yourself a friend, Keira?" He mocked looking between her and me and I held back an eye roll. Oh God, please give me patience. 

"It's none of your business." Keira gave me a look, her pride refusing her the help of another person, and Chase chuckled. "Everyone in the school knows you love sleeping around. You play hard to get because you know it works for me, don't you gorgeous?" He asked her, still smiling that sick smile.

These are the types of guys who grow up to become abusive and rapists. Boys who don't understand the meaning of no.  

"Maybe she just likes sex without commitment. That makes her a slut?" I asked him and he turned his attention back to me. "I have heard about your playboy stories too. But it's cool because you are a guy, right? Expected from your gender, huh?" I mocked him. His eyes went hard. 

"Careful, new girl. Just because you are pretty doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and get away with it." He warned, his voice dangerously low and I rolled my eyes again. This conversation was way too immature for me, but atleast it got my eyes good excercise. 

"Oh yes, now you have really scared me. C'mon Keira, the class is starting." I motioned her to move and she gave me a meant-to-be-condescending-but-actually-grateful look. Throwing Chase a last distasteful glance, she followed me back to the school.

"You are so going to regret this, Evans." Chase's voice followed me inside the school and I scoffed.

The only thing I'm gonna regret is not kicking him where it really hurts. But that leaves me with something to look forward to tomorrow. 

-

Mr. Wilson was present today looking like he would rather be anywhere else. The only time he reacted to anything was when Liam asked his permission to join the class.

"What was it today?" He asked the boy and Liam fixed his glasses. "There was a UFO attack near my house." Mr. Wilson just nodded and told him to take his seat. Then he went back to looking at his notes leaving the class to do whatever we wanted. I seriously cannot believe this. 

"Why is he like this?" I asked Kevin, motioning to our history teacher with my fingers, and he shrugged. "No idea." He flipped a page. "Some think he comes to school drunk or high everyday, or something like that. Although Asher believes he just hates everyone and everything in the world." He told me unconcernedly. I looked at Evie and she nodded.

"I think so too. But don't worry. He will start teaching once exam dates near and he finishes the syllabus pretty easily by giving us assignments and stuffs. History classes are like free classes, atleast for first three months." She shrugged. "Then it goes to hell, but you know? It's fine."

I turned to look at Liv noticing that she hasn't said anything for a while, only to see that she was looking out of the window to where the cheer leading practice was going on. 

"What are you looking at?" Evie asked Liv and she pointed at the ground.

"It's a masterpiece, that dance." She told us, as if in a trance. "Arms stretched weirdly, no rhythm coordination, no sense of music and tuning...it's really amazing, how they can sell that off as cheering. "   

Kevin gave her a confused look. "You looked like you wanted to join it." He said to which Liv gave him a look. "Please. If I allow myself to do that kind of thing-" her eyes suddenly went serious as she looked back to the ground "-I will burn this school down." 

All of us were silent for few moments until Kevin and Evie went back to discussing the upcoming field trip, pulling me in.

-

"I will say I will be dividing you into groups for this project, but I don't care as long as you get the work done so make a group yourself." Mrs Joy announced before leaving, informing us that the topic was classic literature works analysis (of course it was) and there was no limit to how many members one group can have. I didn''t feel like I was in my last year of high school at all, but atleast it wasn't comprehensive reading. 

"Thankfully it's a month from now so we can take this easy." Mia said and Stephan nodded. 

English literature was the one class that was common for all of us, so the guys were more than happy to have me join their group. A beautiful friendship in making. Although I had a small niggling feeling that it had something to do with that time when they asked me my previous school grade.

"Anyways, we have a free class now so I say we hit the cafe." Cole said and Kevin immediately got up to pack his stuffs. 

Cole got up to leave when Mia pulled him back to his seat. Cole gave her a confused look and she smiled at him. "You have detention." She told him cheerily and Cole's mouth formed an 'O' as he remembered that he got into trouble in Calculus. Apparently after school detentions were allowed to be cleared out during free periods.

Mia got up to move when Stephan pushed her back to her seat. Mia looked at him quizzically and he smirked. "Mrs. Joy told you something similar to that few minutes ago too, remember?" As Mia's eyes went wide at his remark realizing that she has one too, Asher and Liv simultaneously face palmed and I bit back a laugh.

Cole pointed at Mia, grinning. "Ha!" He exclaimed and expectantly got smacked.

-

Evie stayed at school for volunteering, although I think she just wanted to sleep, and Kevin decided to stay back for his football practice (yeah, that shocked me too; I had no idea he was a jock), so it ended up with just Asher, me, Liv and Stephan. 

Stephan was massaging his temple while we ordered our coffees, which Asher noticed. "What's wrong with your head?" He asked and Stephan opened his mouth to speak. Asher raised his hand. "Wait, don't answer that." 

I snickered. Déjà vu.

Stephan frowned. "Shut up." Then groaned. "I think I pulled a brain muscle." He said and Liv rolled her eyes. "Brains don't have muscle, dumbass." Stephan made a face at her. "Maybe yours doesn't, goat face." 

Before they could indulge in another round Asher looked at me. "Why did you change the school?" He asked me and I inwardly cringed a little. I have known sooner or later someone would ask me this. To be honest, I was surprised no one did that on my first day at school. 

Stephan and Liv gave me a curious look. "Yeah, I have been meaning to ask you that too. I told you, right? Our school rarely get new admissions for senior secondary classes." Stephan said and I looked at Asher to see him giving me a strange look. As if he knew I was hiding something. As if he was sure I was gonna lie.  

"Our previous living conditions weren't sound." Doctors told us that mom needed a new environment. "There are some repair works going on in my house." Of our family, that is. 

"Oh, that's it? You didn't need to change school for that though, right?" Liv asked me and I sighed. No I didn't. 

I glanced at Asher and found him frowning. He was really curious for someone he only recently met. 

I had to bit back a smile.

I haven't ever seen a guy so easy to read. 

-

I tried to rub the condensed water droplets on the glassy wall of the cafe to get a clear view of the road in front of me. The rain started as a drizzle few minutes ago until it turned into an endless music of droplets hitting window panes and rooftops within seconds. 

I hate rainy days.

"It doesn't look like it's gonna stop anytime soon. Let's just go home." Liv said and we nodded. It really didn't seem to have any intention of stopping anytime soon. 

"I will drive you home." I looked at Asher. Drive...I shook myself out of my thoughts. You are such a hypocrite, Sarah. You advise people around you to move on when you haven't been able to do so yourself. I nodded to him gratefully. 

Stephan stood. "I'm gonna go back to school. I have a painting to finish." He said and Liv's eyes widened. "Shit. I have to go back too." Seeing our questioning look she gestured at herself. "Do you have any idea how many classes I have skipped already? And it's barely been a week since school started! I need to attend this class if I want to skip later." She explained hurriedly and rushed out. 

Asher rolled his eyes and pulled the door open for me. "C'mon. Let's get you out of here before you get whatever my friends seem to have." 

-

"It's because my brother died." 

It wasn't like I was uncomfortable with sharing this part of my life with someone, it's just that everyone in my previous school already knew so I wasn't used to saying it out loud. That's why I didn't say anything back at the cafe. But feeling Asher's curious eyes on me every few seconds since we left made me wonder just what would happen if I did tell someone. I knew he was trying hard not to ask me anything so I figured I would just say it.  

Asher looked at me while I kept my eyes in the front. "My parents haven't been dealing with the loss very well, so the doctors said that they needed a change in their lifestyle and environment. Especially my mom. That's why we shifted to a whole other city where people didn't know about it."

Asher nodded. "I can understand. You don't want others to pity you or give their sympathy." 

I looked at him. "Why is it a bad thing?" He turned to give me a confused look. 

"If other people pity you or sympathize with you, it means that they have feelings too. Why does that make one feel insulted? It shows that humanity is still alive. A person able to feel bad for someone's hardship means that they can understand what the other person is going through. Isn't that a comforting thought?" I asked him and he gave me a long thoughtful look.

"I guess. But having people continuously tell you they are sorry ought to get tiring, right? Especially when they haven't deal with something like that themselves?" He asked, more to himself than to me, and I sighed. "Yes, but that doesn't mean having someone's sympathy is a bad thing. You shouldn't be opposed to people being compassionate to you. Of course people should realize themselves if the other person doesn't like being pitied, but I doubt they say I'm sorry for your loss as an insult." 

We were almost by the street where my house was when Asher slowed his car. "My mom...actually she..." He faltered and I could see that he wasn't comfortable. 

It made me remember something Mason told me years ago. When you trust someone with a part of yourself, it makes them feel obliged to return that trust by sharing something of theirs with you too. They feel that that's the only way they can make you understand that they understand your pain. They force themselves to do that. That's why Sarah, you need to tell them through words for them to understand that-

"You don't have to tell me something you are not ready to." I told Asher placing a hand on his arm. He looked at my hand and then slowly gazed up to meet my eyes. "Different people deal with their past differently. Just because I told you mine doesn't mean you owe me a story too, Asher." I felt him relax beneath my fingers.

"See you tomorrow, Reyes." I said, picking up my bag and he nodded. 

"You are coming to the party this Friday right?" He asked and seeing my confused look, continued. "It's like a tradition. We, that is me, Kev and Stephan, throw a party at our house-" I raised my eye at that. I didn't know they lived together. "-to commemorate the start of a new term. Almost everyone from the class comes. It's more like a get together." He explained. I tugged at my bag's strap.

"It wouldn't be weird to have a new student join?" I asked and he chuckled. "You are already popular at school, Evans. No, it won't be weird having you show up. It would be weird if you didn't because then everyone would ask us if we didn't invite you." I smiled. 

"I will think about it." I told him and he grinned. Giving me a last wave he drove off. 

I looked up to see the sky clearing up partly. 

Not that bad, as far as rainy days goes. 

-

A/n - Of course there is a party, folks! What kind of teen fiction, high school book this would be if it doesn't have at least one party scene?? XD